[[Image:Battlestar new.jpg|thumb|right|Aft view of ''Galactica'' from nBSG]]A '''Battlestar''' is a [[Colonial]] capital [[warship]] that serves primarily as a [[starfighter]] [[carrier]] but also has heavy weapons for directly engaging other capital ships.

[[Image:Battlestar old.jpg|thumb|right|Battlestar fleet from original series]]

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A '''battlestar''' is a [[Colonial]] capital [[warship]] that serves primarily as a [[starfighter]] [[carrier]] but also has heavy weapons for directly engaging other capital ships. They are the featured warships of the ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' series.

== Battlestars in the Original Series ==

== Battlestars in the Original Series ==

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The original series battlestars served primarily as [[starfighter]] [[carrier]]s. The actual number of [[Viper]] fighters carried isn't clear. The hangars were in the pilons to the port and starboard sides of the main hull.

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== Battlestars in Neo Battlestar galactica ==

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In addition to fighter squadrons, a battlestar has beam weapons in twin turrets distributed around the hull. They seem to serve primarily as defenses against fighter attack. The ship also carries heavy missiles of some type that can destroy [[Cylon]] [[basestar]]s with a few direct hits.

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Battlestars appear to be limited to lightspeed or slower; interstellar journeys are presumably possible because the crews experience [[general relativity|relativistic]] time dilation.

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== Battlestars in Neo Battlestar Galactica ==

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As in the original series, a battlestar serves primarily as a starfighter carrier. The ship also has [[nuclear weapon|nuclear missiles]] (used extremely rarely) and [[kinetic energy weapon]] main batteries for directly engaging Cylon capital ships. A battlestar is also capable of producing an obscene amount of [[point defense]] fire, creating a "flak wall" that protects the ship. They are also sufficiently armored to withstand multiple nuclear blasts without being crippled. Battlestars in the new series have FTL engines capable of jumping light years in a few seconds.

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Two classes of battlestars are given detail in Neo ''Battlestar Galactica'': the unnamed class of the ''Galactica'', and the ''Mercury''-class, such as the ''Pegasus''. ''Galactica'' is 1438.64 meters long with 14 main KEW batteries, while the ''Mercury''-class is 1789.8 meters long with 4 stationary frontal KEW batteries and 30 side KEW turret batteries, along with a compliment of 200 Viper Mark VII fighters.